Canada to Kilkenny: Catharine & Brendan's Langton's Wedding

From the super sweet low-key proposal to the super-stylish ballroom reception, there is so much to love in today's real wedding. Canadian bride Catharine and Irish groom Brendan came home to Kilkenny to tie the knot with an effortlessly elegant affair at Langton House Hotel. Their weekend-long wedding - captured beautifully by SOSAC Photography - is jam-packed with glamorous style, beautiful flowers, and chic details - and best of all, not a carpet in sight!

Catharine & Brendan met in Canada through their GAA clubs, “He had just a year ago immigrated from Donegal to Canada and I was on my summer break from Uni,” explains Catharine, “We played for rival teams but became friends. Later that fall I return to university and it was where he was living at the time so he sent me a message to ask me out on a date.”

Dedicated to her studies, Catharine wasn’t looking for love, but she went out with Brendan and the spark was instant, “On our first date we ate pancakes for dinner and laughed for ages over about 10 cups of coffee and tea. I still remember how nervous we both were. He was such a gentleman.”

Catharine says she knew there was something special about him, “I loved how he spoke about his family. I am very close with my family so to see him talk about his family the way I would speak about mine made me fall for him immediately. To this day it is what I love about him the most.”

Brendan popped the question one Saturday as he was getting ready for work, as Catharine explains, “I was lying in bed watching America’s Funniest Home Videos (which is my favourite thing to watch first thing in the morning). And out of nowhere he comes over and proposes. It was so heartfelt and private. Exactly what I wanted in a proposal. He then took the day off and we went for breakfast and went for a walk to the park, it was the perfect day.”

And it turns out there was a sweet reason behind the timing of Brendan’s proposal, “Later I asked him how he picked that morning and he had told me that he had asked his Dad for advice, and regarding asking the ‘question’ his dad advised that he should “ask her when she is the happiest.” And Brendan said he always knew I was the happiest morning person so he would ask me then.”

Let's all take a moment to swoon over Catharine's dress, the way it falls, the lace, those dipped sides - it's the perfect balance of stylish and sophisticated.

Catharine tells us the style she was going for with the wedding, but says she’s not quite sure if she achieved it, “I was going for effortless elegance. I didn’t want any trends or fads. I wanted to have a day that I would look back on and feel it could have been a wedding that happened 50 years ago or 50 years from now.” I think she definitely pulled it off!

With so many guests travelling, the couple wanted to make a real weekend of it for their guests, “For us it was having a three day affair with all our family and friends. Because my family came from Canada and Brendan’s from Donegal most of them were meeting for the first time and all were in holiday mode. We had arranged for a get together the night before the wedding at the Bank in Kilkenny and a BBQ the day after at Langton’s. Just seeing my family and his get to know each other over the three days made the occasion super special. A great surprise on the night was one of Brendan friends got up on stage and sang the best rendition of Destination Donegal.”

The couple had three priorities from the very beginning, “Venue, photography and band. If guests are fed well and can’t help but dance you know you will have a good wedding. Langton’s is unmatched in their attention to detail, food, service and quality of space. Guests are still raving about our band, The Pearls. They were ahhmazing and a must have for any bride and groom who love to dance.”

Catharine gushes about the photographers she and Brendan chose to document their day, “We wanted to have a photographer that captured us as couple and made us feel at ease. Shane and Adele of SOSAC captured our day to perfection and I love that every time I look at our photos I am immediately brought back to all the small details of the day.”

The bride tells us she wanted the vibe to feel effortless and in keeping with the hotel, “Just to work naturally and organically with my surroundings such as the greenery and lots of flowers. I pulled colours from the stained glass ceilings in Langton’s reception bar and vibes from the black and white marble floor in their ballroom. And of course the green that is so Ireland. Just made for a beautiful backdrop with the green bridesmaids dresses and the stunning succulents in the bouquets done by Flowers by Lucy. I cannot stress how important it is to find a venue that speaks to your style. Having that work with me made the process that much easier.” Here, here!

The couple really pulled off that natural elegance they were going for!

We asked Catharine & Brendan what made Langton House Hotel the one, Catharine’s answer? Everything! “It was honestly perfect. Perfect location in the city centre. For many of our Canadian guests this was their first trip to Ireland so giving them a town to walk around and explore the days before the wedding were key. It has the perfect outdoor and indoor space, massive bar in the ballroom and no carpet to be seen! I don’t know what it is but I can’t do carpet floors in a venue.” I share your feelings on carpets Catherine!

The bride tells us it wasn’t just the aesthetics that had her sold on the venue, “Most importantly, the care and attention you get from Sean Read and his team at Langton’s is just unsurpassed. Planning a wedding from abroad can be a bit daunting so having Sean there was priceless. He made so many recommendations for other vendors he took the stress out of planning.”

This couple’s advice for someone newly engaged, start with the ceremony and reception venues, and take their advice on suppliers, “They are your biggest expense and will either make your day run smoothly or work against you. If you are a foreign bride like me try and choose a venue with a wedding coordinator on-site and read reviews! You will want to know you are dealing with a professional and once you do use their knowledge. They know all the vendors that show up on time and are reputable. I took Sean Read’s advice on every vendor I selected and he did not steer me wrong.”

Catharine also warns other couples to get in early with your desired vendors, “If there is a particular vendor like photographer or florist you love always good to send them email before you solidify a date to be sure they are available. And spend the money on the flowers! Because I was traveling over only a week before the wedding I didn’t want to stress about décor so I made sure my flowers and centrepieces were all the décor I needed. Didn’t hurt that Langton’s Ballroom is so stunning it really needed nothing at all to look beautiful but walking into the ballroom and seeing the lush floral displays was just stunning.”

So many gorgeous details! Thanks so much to Catharine & Brendan for sharing their beautiful Kilkenny wedding with us! And of course to SOSAC Photography for sending these gorgeous photographs our way!